


i'll be cleaning up bottles with you on new year's day (i want your midnights)

by leifstroganoff



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Lots of Lovingly Bullying, M/M, New Year's Kiss, Post-Canon, Shamelessly self-indulgent, and obv not s2 compliant thats not come out yet lmao, im too lazy to figure out the timeline, lots of teasing, way down the line like a couple years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:02:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28461342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leifstroganoff/pseuds/leifstroganoff
Summary: Maybe aNew Year’shangout was optimistic.Maybehaving Tobin, Simon and Mo all in the same room and punch drunk was not very well thought out, but at least it was fun towatch.
Relationships: Simon Haynes/Max Richman, Zoey Clarke/Leif Donnelly
Comments: 7
Kudos: 21





	i'll be cleaning up bottles with you on new year's day (i want your midnights)

**Author's Note:**

> this started bc i wanted to write a zeif new year's kiss and i wanted to put simax crumbs in the background but uh the simax become much more prominent than i intended and i got v carried away with zoey and leif teasing so i genuinely hope y'all enjoy this, it's so self indulgent and cutesy and i just wanted to write them all being happy and vibing together for a bit <3

Maybe a _New Year’s_ hangout was optimistic. _Maybe_ having Tobin, Simon and Mo all in the same room and punch drunk was not very well thought out, but at least it was fun to _watch_. 

The thing is, the dynamics around the office have shifted quite a bit in the last couple years. Her and Max are still close, but that doesn’t really _count_ , seeing as he doesn’t count as part of “the dynamics around the office” anymore. Most of the _changes_ happened when she kissed Leif one late night at the office when she’d first noticed a genuine change in _him_ and his attitude and, most notably, how he treated her. 

The dynamics that changed were really mostly present in her relationship with Leif (and she does mean _relationship)_ and her friendship with Tobin _through_ her relationship with Leif. Only two years earlier, the thought of having Mo, Simon, Max, Leif _and_ Tobin all in her apartment at the same time and having a _good_ time would’ve seemed not only unbelievable, but _out of the question_ entirely. 

Yet, here she finds herself slipping away from the party to get another glass of wine in the kitchen while Tobin’s voice drifts through the apartment, singing along only _slightly_ off key (which is _surprising,_ for how many shots he’s had) to whoever started performing on _New Year’s Rockin’ Eve_ while Mo watches in an astonishing mix of amazement, judgement, _and_ horror. 

She doesn’t even notice Max slipping into the kitchen with her until she hears a friendly “hey” as he grabs a bottle of wine from the counter and starts pouring. 

“ _Hey_ , buddy,” She says, the word that once would’ve seemed forced (a reminder that he _is_ a buddy and she wouldn’t _let_ herself consider him as anything more) comes out naturally with a cheesy smile and a little nudge on his arm. “What’s up? We’ve not really had a chance to talk tonight, you’ve been too busy hanging onto every word that leaves Simon’s mouth.” 

The words are _teasing_ , light and fun, and she’s more than grateful for the annoyed smile that she gets in return as he takes a sip of the wine. 

“You’re one to talk, Miss ‘If I’m Not Holding Onto Leif’s Arm, I’ll Perish On The Spot.” 

“Right, well I’m _dating_ Leif. And you _could be_ dating Simon, if either of you would ever actually _say anything_ about it to each other instead of you just making heart eyes the entire time he was talking about… uh, whatever sports thing he was talking about.” 

“The Saints’ receiving record. And I do _not_ make heart eyes, c’mon.”

“Oh? You don’t? So you looking like a total softie is just a coincidence?”

As Max is about to respond (almost certainly _indignantly),_ Leif appears in the doorway with an empty glass and a raise in his eyebrow as he steps in and pours himself another glass (if there’s one thing to be said, it’s that the wine pours _heavy_ when Zoey asks Mo to help her organize a get together).

“Everything okay in here? I mean, even if it’s not, anywhere’s better the further it is from Tobin’s singing.” 

“Yeah, we’re good,” She steps up to Leif’s side as he turns around to lean on the counter and she presses up on her tiptoes to leave a kiss on his cheek. “Unless you count _‘smitten’_ as not being good, in which case _Max_ is not good." 

“ _Oooohhhh_ ,” Leif’s demeanor changes immediately from the relaxed but slightly on edge (from the party, more than anything else, she’s sure; while it’s small and cozy, she knows he’s not exactly a _party person_ outside of Spelliversary celebrations and she can hear _now_ that the performers on the TV are now doing a _duet_ which means that _Simon_ has joined Tobin and the alcohol has not exactly made them the quietest or _chillest_ people to be around) poise he’d walked in with to a completely relaxed one, sipping lightly from the glass of wine with raised eyebrows. “Who’s got your fancy?” A pause as Max rolls his eyes and Leif takes another sip. “I mean, I _know_ who’s got your fancy, I just wanna hear you say it.” 

Zoey can’t help but smile at the teasing as Max grabs a cookie from the plate that’s resting on the stove and tops off his glass with an indignant “I’m _not_ smitten”, taking his leave back to the chaos of the living room. 

“He _knows_ he’s a horrible liar, right?” Leif smiles down at her now as they’re left alone in the kitchen and she leans her head on his shoulder, looping her arm through his where his hand is stuck into his pocket. 

“Oh, definitely. He _at least_ knows that _we_ see through it.” She replies, pressing a kiss into his shoulder. “I give them till midnight before they’ve kissed.” 

“Hm, my bets are on eleven. You didn’t see Simon dancing along with the TV.” 

“Are _you_ gonna make it till midnight?” She adjusts where her head is resting so that she can look up at where he’s staring at the other side of the kitchen.

“Hm?”

He raises his eyebrows with an inquisitive response, but doesn’t break eye contact with the clock on the wall opposite him.

“You just already look… _really_ tired. I know you have a strict ten p.m. weekday bedtime. You can totally go to sleep and I’ll kiss my glass of wine at midnight. I think I might love my glass of wine just as much as you, actually.” 

That draws a laugh out of him as he maneuvers to set his glass down on the counter behind him, taking the opportunity of having both hands free to take his arm out of her grasp and pull her into a sideways hug instead, lolling his head to rest on top of hers after pressing a small kiss to her hair.

“I’m _fine._ I was just…” His thumb starts to rub absentmindedly where it rests on her arm. “Getting a little overwhelmed in there. Another glass of wine and I’ll be right there with Tobin, don’t worry.” 

He pulls away after another soft kiss into her hair (and she doesn’t think she’ll actually ever get tired of how casually affectionate he is; it took a little getting used to, if she was being honest, but there’s no part of her that doesn’t _like_ it) and picks up the full wine glass from behind him, grabbing her hand and starting to walk backwards out of the kitchen.

“Mhm, let’s rejoin the fray, Tobin might’ve devolved more and I _can’t_ miss that.” 

So, she follows him with a light smile on her face and they fall back onto her couch with his arm draped around her and they watch Tobin and Simon try to recreate every single performance that Ryan Seacrest introduces while Mo downs _several_ more glasses of wine and Max watches with what are _definitely_ not lovestruck eyes (if you ask _him_ anyways, which they _don’t)._

Leif is wrong; one glass of wine _does not_ bring him to Tobin’s level, or even nearly close, but two more brings him to a level where the loud singing and laughing from around the room doesn’t make his skin crawl and pressing occasional kisses to Zoey’s shoulder while they chat with Mo and Max certainly doesn’t _hurt_ his mood. 

Eventually, _New Year’s Rockin’ Eve_ starts to be ignored (and _muted_ , to Leif’s eternal gratefulness) in favor of actually talking to each other; dumb stories from childhood (of which Tobin has _plenty_ that aren’t his own to share and Leif doesn’t actually have the energy to be as embarrassed as he should be by some of them, even when Zoey gasps and swats his arm), _dumber_ stories from adulthood, and _many_ requests for wine refills that led to Mo just bringing the bottles into the living room.

Before they know it, Max has brought up a by-the-second clock on his phone and he’s warned him that they’re at fifteen seconds as Leif sips on the last of his glass of wine.

_Ten._

He sets the glass down on the coffee table as everyone else starts counting and he falls behind as he swallows with a choked laugh.

_Six._

_Five._

_Four._

_Three._

_Two._

Zoey leans forward and takes his hand as he turns towards her with a soft smile as everyone’s voices ring out with _“one!”_ and they lean into each other, connecting in a soft, gentle kiss that tastes entirely too much like over frosted sugar cookies and cheap wine; they’re not actually sure how long the kiss lasts until they hear Mo’s voice ring through the room, eye roll evident in the tone.

“Alright, _lovebirds,_ don’t make us nauseous now.” 

Zoey pulls away ready to throw any number of teases back in Mo’s direction, but is surprised to see that Mo’s not actually talking to her _or_ Leif, but to Max and Simon who are still locked in a pretty intense midnight kiss, hands braced on each other’s chest and legs respectively. 

“ _Okay,”_ Zoey says with a laugh, grabbing Leif’s hand and standing up, only fumbling slightly as he comes with her. “I _think_ it’s time for bed and to give _those two_ some space.” 

“Mo,” Leif starts as Zoey is already dragging him towards her bedroom. “Tobes is still good to sleep on your couch, right?” 

“Mhm, definitely,” Mo nods his head towards where Tobin is pretty obliviously on his phone leaning against the couch that Max and Simon are _still_ making out on. “Especially since these two seem to have claimed Zoey’s.”

“Alright, thanks,” Leif replies with a laugh as he stumbles where Zoey pulls him into her room and Mo’s lightly teasing ‘have fun, kids’ is lost to the door closing behind them.

“Midnight _on the dot_. You owe me… _something._ ” She pulls him towards the bed and he follows, neither of them bothering to actually change before plopping into the bed as he throws an arm over her stomach and nuzzles into her neck. “We didn’t actually _bet_ anything.” 

“Mhm, I owe you a lot.” 

She doesn’t really get what he means at first, focusing more on his tired voice and how rough it is as he presses a soft kiss to her collarbone where he rests, but once she’s processed it, it’s… _really_ sweet and she’s sure that she’d have more coherent, _gushy_ thoughts about it if there were less wine in her system and more _sleep._

“Mhm, goodnight, Leif.” 

“G’night.”

His voice has already gotten softer, closer to sleep as he readjusts into her neck, relaxing into where her arm rests around him and pulls him closer, ready to fall asleep herself.

“ _Happy new year.”_

**Author's Note:**

> comments make my life,,,, like they light up my day i will smile for the rest of the day


End file.
